Ragu Bolognese

Everybody LOVEs Bolognese!

There are so many recipes of this warming and comforting dish out there that no one can claim the title of having the ultimate one. Actually, they all are. Here, I am sharing one of the variations that you ought to try. To be honest with you, I’m always making Bolognese a little bit differently, always adding a bit of twist depending on my mood and available ingredients, and never stick to the actual recipe. I strongly suggest you do the same and never shy away from improvising. This one is a good basis to start with and was inspired by recipe appearing in Rick Stein’s book about his journeys in the Mediterranean. Both book and recipes are worth reading. Highly recommended. Apparently, Rick got this recipe from an Italian chef who was making this pasta as his grand mamma did. Once you taste the end result with amazingly rich taste and smokey scent, you really have a feeling you nailed it and got to the roots of Italian cuisine.

Ingredients:

1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
60 ml olive oil
300g minced beef
300g lean minced pork
100g smoked bacon (as lean as possible)
1 tsp salt
15 turns black pepper-mill
100 ml dry red wine
100ml water
500 ml passata
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 spring rosemary

To serve

450-600g pasta, freshly cooked
Parmesan, freshly grated

Instructions:

Add olive oil to the deep pan and fry the celery, carrots and onion for about 10 minutes.
Add the beef, pork and bacon and fry till golden brown, stir occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper (be careful with salt for bacon is already salty).
Add the wine, water, passata, tomato paste and rosemary.
Continue cooking with the lead on for 2 hours on a low heat.
Serve with spaghetti or your favorite pasta topped with grated cheese.